Golden pencilfish

Nannostomus beckfordi

A slender pencil shape with one prominent dark lateral stripe

Golden-silver colour and reddish belly or fins vary with sex and display. There is no adipose fin.

Males compete; multiple males need more room and broken sightlines.

Appearance and identification

Compare the compact three-striped dwarf pencilfish, the black neon's contrasting stripe, and the spotted, head-up diptail pencilfish.

Keep around ten or more; watch weaker individuals and feeding.

Allow 60–80 cm of length for eight to ten. Multiple males need more space than a 45 × 30 cm base.

Use fine dry food and small frozen or live foods.

Avoid dominant feeders; quiet surface fish can also be disturbed in small aquaria.

Use plants and floating cover to break sightlines, with gentle flow and swimming space.

Sources